a CONTENTS 4 Love life in Yasuní 5 Purpose of this guide 6 Yasuní Biosphere Reserve 10 Yasuní National Park 14 Waorani territory and peoples in isolation 18 The Yasuní-ITT Initiative 22 Tourism in Yasuní 30 Where to go b 1 GALÁPAGOS 1 GALÁPAGOS NATIONAL PARK 2 GALÁPAGOS MARINE RESERVE 16 PROTECTED AREAS PACIFIC COAST 2 18 OF ECUADOR 3 GALERA SAN FRANCISCO MARINE RESERVE 17 Esmeraldas 4 MACHALILLA NATIONAL PARK 1 22 5 MANGLARES CHURUTE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE 3 MACHE CHINDUL ECOLOGICAL RESERVE Pto. Baquerizo 20 Tulcán 6 Moreno 23 7 SANTA CLARA ISLAND WILDLIFE REFUGE 8 8 MUISNE RIVER ESTUARY MANGROVES WILDLIFE REFUGE 6 Ibarra 9 EL SALADO MANGROVES FAUNA PRODUCTION RESERVE 41 10 SANTA ELENA PENINSULA MARINE FAUNA WILDLIFE Nueva Loja o REFUGE 0 24 11 EL MORRO MANGROVES WILDLIFE REFUGE 36 12 PACOCHE COASTAL MARINE WILDLIFE REFUGE Quito 35 13 PARQUE LAGO NATIONAL RECREATION AREA 14 ARENILLAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE Sto. Domingo 25 37 N 42 15 ISLA CORAZÓN AND FRAGATAS WILDLIFE REFUGE Francisco W E 27 26 de Orellana 16 CAYAPAS MATAJE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE 15 29 28 17 ESMERALDAS RIVER ESTUARY MANGROVES WILDLIFE S REFUGE 18 LA CHIQUITA WILDLIFE REFUGE Latacunga Tena 12 Portoviejo 19 ISLA SANTAY AND ISLA DEL GALLO NATIONAL RECREATION 30 38 AREA 20 PAMBILAR WILDLIFE RESERVE Ambato 21 LOS SAMANES NATIONAL RECREATION AREA 31 4 Puyo Guaranda ANDES Riobamba 39 22 EL ÁNGEL ECOLOGICAL RESERVE Babahoyo 23 COTACACHI CAYAPAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE 21 24 PULULAHUA GEOBOTANICAL RESERVE 10 13 19 25 PASOCHOA WILDLIFE RESERVE Santa Elena 9 Guayaquil 26 ANTISANA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE 27 EL BOLICHE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA 5 Macas 28 COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK 11 29 LOS ILINIZAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE 32 30 LLANGANATES NATIONAL PARK Pacific Ocean Azogues 31 CHIMBORAZO FAUNA PRODUCTION RESERVE 32 CAJAS NATIONAL PARK 7 Cuenca 33 PODOCARPUS NATIONAL PARK Machala 34 YACURI NATIONAL PARK Biosphere Reserves and Intangible Zones 44 14 43 AMAZON 1 35 CUYABENO FAUNA PRODUCTION RESERVE 36 CAYAMBE COCA NATIONAL PARK 40 3 6 37 LIMONCOCHA BIOLOGICAL RESERVE 2 38 YASUNÍ NATIONAL PARK 1. Galápagos Biosphere Reserve 5 Loja Zamora 39 SANGAY NATIONAL PARK 2. Yasuní Biosphere Reserve 33 40 EL ZARZA WILDLIFE REFUGE 3. Sumaco Biosphere Reserve 41 COFÁN BERMEJO ECOLOGICAL RESERVE 4. Podocarpus-El Cóndor 42 SUMACO NAPO GALERAS NATIONAL PARK Biosphere Biosphere Reserve Reserves 43 EL CÓNDOR BIOLOGICAL RESERVE 34 45 4 5. Tagaeri-Taromenane Intangible Zone 44 EL QUIMI BIOLOGICAL RESERVE Intangible 100 km 45 CERRO PLATEADO BIOLOGICAL RESERVE 6. Cuyabeno-Imuya Intangible Zone Zones 3 This reserve includes: • The Yasuní National Park (YNP), its primary purpose being the conservation of biodiversity. Love life • Waorani Territory (WT), home to the people that have lived in this land from time immemorial. • The Tagaeri-Taromenane Intangible Zone in Yasuní (TTIZ), created by the state to respect its res- idents’ decision to live in isolation and with their traditions. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE YA- SUNÍ? You must have. In recent years, This guide is an invitation to come to the it’s probably the most talked-about Yasuní, to fall in love with it while travelling protected area in Ecuador. Everybody through its rivers, lagoons and meeting its is talking about it. But how many peo- people. In these pages you will find useful ple really know the Yasuní? information for planning your next trip in the area. Let’s go. Pick up your sustainable tour- The Yasuní is one of the last areas ism guide to Yasuní Biosphere Reserve (YBR) of jungle that remain intact in Ecuador, and get ready for a learning adventure. the most biodiverse place on the planet. These extraordinary forests are the heri- tage of all Ecuadorians and one of the Earth’s life reserves. They are also home PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE to peoples who have developed an inti- mate dialogue with the forests and who The aim of this guide is twofold: to con- know them deeply. tribute to an initial understanding of biodiver- sity, cultures, and the RBY’s current situation, In recent decades, this magnificent re- also to invite travelers to visit, in this way gion has had to deal with a complex com- contributing to its conservation. The first bination of factors: oil and illegal timber sections provide an overview of the YBR, extraction, the arrival of squatters and mis- the national park, Waorani territory and the sionaries, and the accelerated growth of Yasuní-ITT initiative. Then, we offer useful tourism. In order to address such issues, the information and practical advise for plan- Yasuní is seeking to find a way to make human ning your visit to the Reserve. Finally, the ac tivity compatible with the conservation of guide includes a list of legal tour opera- this natural and cultural treasure. Thus, a bio- tions in the Yasuní. The three maps in this sphere reserve was established in the territories guide contain general and touristic infor- between the Napo and the Pindoyacu rivers. mation about the region. 4 5 Inside a tierra firme forest Troschel’s tree frog Canoe ride along a white water river Location: Orellana, Pastaza and Napo provinces. Size: 2 000 700 hectares (4 900 thousand acres). Altitude: 200-400 masl. Climate: warm humid, 25° C on average. the Napo and Curaray Rivers and other populated centers. The country’s authorities are still consult- ing with the residents and local governments in order to define the reserve’s territorial boundaries. Within the YBR live three indigenous nation- alities –Waorani, Kichwa, and Shuar– and the Tagaeri, Taromenane, and other unidentified isolat- ed groups, as well as mestizo and Afro-Ecuadorian settlers. In addition, beneath this fragile Reserve In Ecuador there are four are large deposits of oil, a key element in the Ecua- biosphere reserves: dorian economy, and this has generated social and environmental conflicts. Through sustainable and • Galápagos (created in 1984). responsible tourism, you can help in the search • Yasuní (1989). for more autonomous subsistence alternatives for the region’s communities, taking advantage of the • Sumaco (2002). YBR’s major resource: its biodiversity. • Podocarpus-El Cóndor (2007). YASUNÍ BIOSPH ERE RESERVE ince 1976, the United Nations Educa- tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization S (UNESCO) has designated areas of global relevance as “biosphere reserves” due to their ecosystems and landscapes. One of these is the Yasuní. There are more than 560 reserves in 109 countries. Other outstanding examples are the Where Brazilian Pantanal, the Paraná River delta, Hawaii, and the Serengeti-Ngorongoro in Tanzania. forest and The YBR covers more than two-and-a-half million hectares (more than six million acres). Its nucleus is the homonimous National Park and the Waorani Terri- man come tory. The YNP and WT share the Tagaeri-Taromenane Intangible Zone, where Ecuador’s remaining peoples in isolation have taken refuge. Furthermore, the Re- together serve also comprises the buffer zones of these areas, including the Kichwa communities on the shores of 6 7 Pichicocha Lagoon o LIMONCOCHA o ri i BIOLOGICAL RESERVE r Sucumbíos Ag g A go to Lago Agrio Limoncocha CUYABENO o La g Pompeya to a SUMACO L Garzacocha Pañacocha ) o Baeza d t Na FAUNA a po Maxus r o Coca o r t i oreto I a u (L ndillam o Q t El Edén i PRODUCTION NAPO-GALERAS u oad o t Q A g o N u t a po ar RESERVE ico Ti NATIONAL Napo putini to Loreto to Qui Tiputini PARK cuno Tiputini Tiva Boca del Tiputini oad r Orellana Auca Nuevo Archidona Rocafuerte Yasuní YASUNÍ Tena Napo Jatuncocha lagoon Shi ripu no R Y T O NATIONAL R R I T E ño W hi A O R A N I s a N Ti güino o y u P PARK o t Tagae ri Taromenane Intangible Zone C o no na PERÚ co C uraray Pastaza Pavacachi Lorocachi Pi Bo ndo bon yac aza u Yasuní Biosphere Reserve boundary Provincial boundary C YASUNÍ Oil block un am bo Waorani territory N BIOSPHERE río Pas taza TaPgaeriasta zTaaromenane W E Intangible Zone S 10 km RESERVE 8 Pto. Tigre 9 YASUNÍ NATIONAL PARK The apotheosis of diversity he Yasuní National Park is the largest pro- tected area in continental Ecuador. Those visiting the Park will find an astonishing T biodiversity, with various world records in richness of flora and fauna. The winding rivers drain- ing the Park join with the great Napo River, the most important Amazon tributary beginning in Ecuador. Among these, the Tiputini, Nashiño, Yasuní, Tiva- Ceibo and canopy of the Amazon forest cuno, Tigüino, and Cononaco stand out. Not all YNP rivers are equal. Depending on the sub- strate where they originate, they can be white water or DIVERSITY IN THE YASUNÍ black water rivers. The first are born in the Andes, and carry sediments which provide the characteristic brown- More than 1400 animal species thrive in the National Park. ish color. One example is the Curaray River, the southern 150 species of amphibians, a world record; in the entire Unit- limit of the Park. On the other hand, the black water rivers ed States and Canada combined there are only 99 species. and lagoons are born in the forest itself. Their dark, glis- tening, tea-like tone is due to tannins, pigments that rain Almost 600 different birds; one third of the entire Amazonian washes from the forest’s litter layer. avifauna. 169 mammals, including 12 monkeys; one out of three mam- Because of the rainfall regime in the Amazon, the mals of the Amazon basin. river level varies a great deal during the year. Between March and November, the rivers overflow their banks More than 100 thousand insect species in one hectare (2.4 and turn extensive areas into swamps.